How to Lose Weight: #18: Go With Feeling Good

David Bennett

As we lose weight, we look and feel better, and get excited. This effect is noticeable almost immediately. However, food and inactivity are strong addictions, and negative influences in our lives, and sometimes when we reach a plateau, or go through a stressful period in life, we shelve our good efforts, and revert back to depending on things like sugar and fat to feel good. There is much more long-term satisfaction in living a disciplined life than there is in the short-term satisfaction that we get from gorging or being inactive. Of course, being disciplined is easier said than done, especially when you have just gotten home from a stressful day at work and potato chips are calling your name! In this article, I am suggesting that we need to tap into the good things that are happening in our lives because of being healthy, and focus on them all the time. In other words, we need to be optimistic! Losing weight - and keeping it off - is a struggle, but there are very tangible rewards that result from even slight weight loss.

I think we need to "go with feeling good," that is, remind ourselves how good we feel and look from our weight loss. I can think of three recent examples of how I tried to put this into action, and I hope my experiences give you some ideas.

In the Fall of 2008, I was the chaperon for my school's homecoming dance. It was catered by a local Italian place, and I ate a good bit, mainly because I had run 5 miles and lifted for 40 minutes a few hours earlier, and I needed the calories (especially the protein). However, when I was tempted to eat handfuls of potato chips later in the night, I remembered how good I had been feeling lately since I had lost weight. I also looked around at dancing students, and thought about much it meant to me, and them, that at 30 I was in good enough shape to keep up with them on the basketball court. I also thought about how I was actually in better shape at 30 than when I attended my own homecoming dance! I was grateful for where I was, and that alone was enough for me to forgo a bunch of chips (I did eat a few). Looking back, I should have quietly said to myself how grateful I was to be at this point.

Another example happened a few days later. My wife and I were walking around our neighborhood after church, and I remarked how nice it was outside, and how great it was that we were able to walk, and how I enjoyed being in shape. It wasn't a huge revelation, but I was grateful for something as simple as being in shape enough to enjoy the great weather. What does it hurt to focus on what we have accomplished? It doesn't hurt, and in fact, it should really be a tool to help keep us on the path of health and wellness. I mentioned in Tip #1 about the importance of speaking positive thoughts out loud. Vocalizing my gratefulness to my wife is an example of such a beneficial affirmation.

Finally, I have one more example. In early 2009, I went to the doctor. The nurse took my pulse, and when she read "48," she said "that can't be right" and took it again. Again, it was "48." She asked, "do you exercise a lot or something?" I said "yes." The doctor asked the same thing, and told me to keep up the good work. A 48 pulse is very healthy and is toward the lower range of the "athlete" range. This incident made me feel really good! I told my wife, my friends, and am writing about it here, not to brag, but to keep it in my mind so I will always remember the benefits of health, especially on days I may be tempted to get instant gratification from gorging.

How can you "go with feeling good?" I suggest reminding yourself of the benefits frequently. Start a weight-loss blog, sign up for Google Calendar and every day remind yourself of why you need to eat right or exercise (Google Calendar allows you to send yourself alerts). For example, you may write on Monday's agenda "I look better in a swimsuit." Every time you check your daily calendar, that will be fresh in your mind. You can do this on your paper planner too! Get creative! It is your life, so personalize it!

The best way to think about weight loss is focus on the long haul. We can't recapture our youth, nor should we obsess about something impossible like that anyway, but we can improve the way we feel now and in the future. If we are healthy, and stay healthy, we know we are doing our part to look and feel better in the future, i.e. we are going with feeling good!

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Disclaimer: These tips reflect the insights of one or more individuals about weight loss and other issues of health. These insights are based on personal experience and scientific research, to help you live a life of greater wellness. They should not be construed as medical advice or the services of a dietician. Before beginning any weight loss or exercise program, you should consult a physician.